What exactly is a Folio?
A folio is described as a book that has been printed on large sheets of paper that have been folded to form two pages and is a similar size to an encyclopedia. Smaller books called “quartos” would have paper folded twice to create four pages before being stitched together.
Shakespeare’s plays were not formally printed during his lifetime. That’s not to say they weren’t printed at all, just that none of the prints were done with his endorsement, nor with the endorsement of his associates. Plays that were printed were taken from memory by an audience member at a performance. It wasn’t until one or two years after Shakespeare’s death in 1616 that John Heminge and Henry Condell, two players from the King’s Men (Shakespeare’s acting troupe) approached printer William Jaggard to collect and print their friend and colleague’s works into what would become known as Shakespeare’s First Folio. This folio was completed in 1623 and was quite popular in its day. The second folio would be printed nine years later in 1632.
Today, first and second folios are considered prized pieces in special collections and collector’s libraries. Scholars consider the second folio to be more accurate than the first, as it includes plays that were previously left out. Shakespeare did not write stage directions, so they are not included in either folio. We are fortunate to have portions of the Second Folio as part of our Special Collection, the History of the Written Word at the Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Library Archives. The plays in our collection are Much Ado About Nothing and Love’s Labor’s Lost contained in one volume and then each other volume containing one play each are The Winter’s Tale, Measure for Measure, two copies of The Merchant of Venice, and The Taming of the Shrew.
Since we have two copies of The Merchant of Venice, and that second copy and The Taming of the Shrew are bound in more colorful paper with what appears to be leather on the spines, we can surmise that these volumes were taken from two separate collections. The first four volumes of five plays come from one source and the last two from another. The volumes were likely split up by a previous collector for ease of handling, since all the plays contained in one volume would have been large and difficult to read individually, much in the way a literature anthology can be when not broken down into sets.
Resources
Collins, Paul (2009). The Book of William: how Shakespeare’s First Folio Conquered the World. Bloomsbury USA.
Martin, Dr. John H., “History of the Written Word” (library records)
